davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-06-11
MUSEUM CuRIOSiTlES.


Ma0agors Who Claim that Human Freaks
Arc Easily Duplicated.
A reporter paid visit recently to
several dime museums along the Bow.
cry and made Investigations concerning
rejected human curiOsities. He dis
covered that . feeling Of intense
jealousy existed among the proprietors
Of these places. Where one had gained
possession of a particularly drawing at
traction. the others sneered and limited
that the same freak had been refused
admittance to their places several
weeks before.
THAT tattood female on exhibition
down the street." said one. .'is chest
nut in the business. remember when
the first attraction of this kind was
offered to the public. He was Greek.
so they advertised. 1t was not long
before tattoOed men came upon the
market by the hundred. There must
have been factory engaged especially
in their production. They amt no
earthly use nowadays You can put
them down - . rejected curiosity every
time. Fat men and women are also
played out. although my neighbor up
the street does not think %. lengaged
lone ssvt<.F vsa1s ago on = contract ex-
tending over . period II twelve months.
She lost $50 pounde within half that
time, although we spent = pile Of dust
feeding her. and we lost big money on
the bus mess. We will look at nothing
of the kind now short of young girl
or boy weighing near 400"
Another museum on the opposite side
Of the Bowery. several blocks farther
up town. had on exhibition a living
skeleton. The proprietor said he would
be glad when his contract expired.
"You can't do nothing with these
bone yards" he said, "althOugh they
used to draw big money. In fact am
careful how I make 3 long time ar
rangement with any human curiosity.
There never was one yet that had not
duplicate. Take the India-rubber man.
for instance. He was advertised all over
the land. but bless my heart If there
wasn't three or four other fellows Of the
same kind that showed up within six
months. Do you want to know nv
opinion? Well. I believe them fakirs
are nothing more than fat men gone off
in weight Take couple Of hundred
pounds out of the skin of a man. and
you can gamble he'll have plenty of
skin to pull out from all parts of his
body"
Another proprietor spoke disdainfully
of Circassian girls, twins Of the Siamese
kind and other standard attractions.
Il reject more wonderful beings than
these are every day Of my life" he con-
tinued. "Ive got the business down
fine and will accept nothing but mon
strosities. The public flock to see my
dog-faced man. Another attraction l
had some months ago was a woman
with hands growing from her ankles
and feet growing from her wrists. Any
hideous deformity attracts the morbid
curiosity Of the public. Some Of these
over-smart fellows thought they had a
wonder in Steve Brodie after his leap
frum the bridge. I would not touch
him, for knew some other crank would
do the same thing and bust the market
on bridge-jumpers. ~ T. Mail and
Express.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-06-11

Omaha Woman-''Did you ever.
People are talking Of growing fax for
fuel Omaha Man-"Yes, l noticed
that Il is said to have more heating
power than coal" ''Why. come tn
think, it is a good plan-a splendid
plan. There won't be any trouble with
chimneys then. ''TOuble with chim-
neysP' mo. You know how beauti-
fully . Aaxseed poultice drswa
Omaha World.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-06-11
A SQUIRREL CAGE.

Directions to the D0ys How tn Mako .
Pretty House for Their Pets 1t Ssnali
Cost.
Those boys who would like some
quick. easy, cheap carpentry. may
make good substantial squirrel cage
in the following manner: Take piece
Of board an inch thick. eighteen inches
wide and three feet long for the bottom.
Fasten upright boards about three feet
high ut each end. with the ends round
ed. Now buy from any dealer in hard
ware. piece Of coarse. strong wire net
ting long enough to go over youI
wooden frame; nail it securely to the
end pieces. and to the bottom board on
ono side. bendin,. it over the rounded
top. II you nail with stout tacks. the
fastening will be strong enough. and
there will be no danger Of splittin;
the wood Of the ends.
Along the front Of the cage the net
ting should stop within three inches Of
the bottom, 80 as to leave room to ppt
in drawer. like the drawer Of . bird
cage, which you must pull out and
clean every day. Make this drawer of
. sheet of tin. Any tinsmith will turn
up the sides for you. leaving the front
. little higher than the other side and
ends in order to overlap the netting
on the outside.
II You can procure the wire netting
only Of q certain width. grade the
length Of your cage accordingly.
II You can get . stout branching
bough Of some hard wood. fasten it Sc
curely from end to end of the cage be-
fore putting on the wire covering. as
your pet will enjoy climbing about on
it much better than running in . re
volving cylinder. which is neither
healthy nor natural exercise for
squirrel. The end boards should also
be lined with tin if they are not hard
wood, as the sharp teeth Of your pet
will soon make havoc with them.
Now for the door: Cut . neat. square
door, four by four inches. and about
three inches from the bottom. in one Of
the end pieces; you can fasten it by
hinges and small button.
For the sleeping apartment cut .
round hole in tho othcI lnA.~hu1u
near the botto0. anoot tkroo inches In
diameter. end then fasten upon the
outside neat httls In hs9. - hot
tom ee%sicA mnlt b lsvsl VIII dat
Of The oags. 70 = eo-S>eeht u p
pearancs q . tiny sz1sasiea- n this
box there ume - = hines1 door,
large enoagh - allow you to change
The bedding frequently. which should
be Of clean. dry moss or Of cotton
wool.
You can also cut . small hole in the
wire netting at the top of the cage
large enough to admit nut, and your
squirrel will soon learn to climb up and
take food from your hand. After cut
ting the hole, bend back the ends Of
the wires. 10 - to leave no sharp edges.
Give the squirrel . little milk occasion
ally. You can put water in dish like
. canary's bathing-cup. which is low
enough to slide in and out with tho
drawer. The squirrel will soon learn
to eat bread. wheat and corn, and II
gently handled will soon learn to come
when called and run over his master.
II you are ingenious. you can make a
neat and comfortable cage from these
directions ut trining expense.-Carlos
Shelkon. In WIDE AarakE
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-06-11

Tho deacon's wife wanted TO lot
down the text and. leaning over to her
scapegrace nephew, she whispered:
Have you any cards about youa"
You can't play in church." was the
solemn rerroving answer. aad the good
woman was % Illustrated that shs tOrgot
hoe toHk-CGltarou1Us Repu6aioqe.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-06-11
THE OLD NEST.
EitS s.g nnng rocking on a tree.
s'ner- ORD, mother -birrl G1,,. 49,;

Sv;tH nung rocking on tree
"'r o'rd' mother bird little birt,. .hr..
And the Wee n;s Iit,, bird tried its wings and nev
"'ue nestlings were only two.
~, He, len. ere they knew it, the second b,ra
VI asweet-voiced songster he,ra
And the third little b,ra ,.,,
eo @ over the edge, and vas gone With VIII nes., ~.
For fhe s.1 ,,r tasner and mother bird sat alone.
fovn "stle birds from the nest had
HnS HnS tne father bird sang but feeble mt.
throat u 'ne 500 IN her
s Is.s ~ ~nat Is . nest on . lovely tree
"''nout the dear little nestlings three,
Ellen ". Carey, in Graphic Ef,rs.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-06-11

The Age Of Steel publishes sum-
mary Of the statistics collected by tho
American Iron and Steel Association in
the nail trade. These statistics show
that exclusive Of railroad spikes and
horseshoe nails our total production OF
cut nails and cut spikes in 1886 was
0.16O.97S kegs Of 100 pounds each.
against 6. .696. .Sl5 kegs in 1885. 1881, $40
kegs in 1884. and 7,762,7S7 kegs in
1885. The production Of 1886 was the
largest the country has ever attained.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
Natural Gas Fires,

For mill purposes, the gas is distribut- ed under the boilers, and wherever needed, by system of small pipes, the blaze supplying the heat directly; but for household uses, in stoves and fire places, the gas-pipe is usually placed at the bottom of the grates, which are filled above with something to receive and bold the heat. In rooms where the open grate, burning the soft bituminous coal, has alway been used, pleasing variety in the arrangement of gas-fires is found. Some people do away with the grate al- together, and supplant it with clever imitation in cast-iron of the old-time backlog. But the commonly accepted plan is to retain the grate, filling it gen. orally with coarsely broken firc-brick, which. when heated. looks much like anthracite coal. Foundry-slag, properly arranged, presents perfect representa- tion of soft coal fire, and is, therefore, more beautiful and desirable. Others resort to the novel plan of filling their grates with porcelain door-knobs, for which purpose they are bought by the peck or bushel! The quantity of gas burned is regulated by valve at each fireplace; and the ease with which a gas-fre is made, regulated, and put out, coupled with it's freedom from smoke, dust, and ashes, has warmed the heart of womankind toward it with very great affection. - [St. Nicholas.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
Church Service in Cars.

If we may dine and sleep in saloon and sleeping cars, why should we not be able to go to church in chapel carriages9 The ability to do this is a matter of some importance if you happen to live in country where there are great many saints days. In Russia, as everybody knows, there is great deal of pictur- esque piety, and saints days come around very frequently, indeed. Rail road guards and engine drivers, it would appear, are the most religious class in Russia: since those employed upon the Southwestern Railway have lately pc titioned the administration that facil- ities might be afforded them for attend ing to their spiritual duties. The re- quest has been granted, and decree has just been issued that upon Sundays and holy days saloon carriage fitted up as church of the orthodox rite shall be attached to every train, to the end that not only may the railroad servants be enabled to go to church without going off duty, but that the passengers like wise may have care for their souls health. St. James Gazette.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
Ruts.

There are ''ruts'' in social and family matters. In business, in politics, in all concerns of life, there are routine courses in which all the world moves along with out the trouble of thinking. If the old ways are good it is all right, and no man or woman should change for the mere sake of changing. If in the old there are obvious imperfections, nobody should maintain the old simply because it is old. Respect for the past and adherence to the time-honored is right. Perfection in the details of one's own calling is above all things essential to success. Yet in the past we should not forg ct the present. Neither in our own personal pursuits should we so narrow down our vision that we know nothing beyond our own business, and can do nothing outside of our special calling. Habit is an unavoid- able chain. Therefore the band should be made flexible. If it be bad it should be reformed altogether. And even the good may be sometimes replaced by the better. Everybody is aware that there are certain daily things which he does mechanically, almost unconsciously. He is running in rut. The science of good road making which immortalized Sir John L. Macadam, is to construct road without any ruts. This process should be mentally applied, and thus, while travel is as easy as if run in well-worn rut, any necessary deviation may be made without jarring. g.-[Philadelphia T,ndoer
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
A Persian Apology,

A prominent official of Tabreeze, Per- sia, had an altercation with an English gentleman, and repeatedly called him a liar to his face. The Englishman, who seemed not to be acquainted with orien- tai character, sent him note, demand ing either an apology or that he should accept a challenge to fight. The Per- sian was not coward flew Persians are poltroons-but the idea of risking his life because he had called another man a liar seemed to him preposterous. q fght!" said he; "what shall fight for? I only called him liar, and now he wants me to fight him. Never was any thing more absurd. "Wcll," said the gentleman who took the note to him, Che says you will have to fight him. There is no way of getting out of it. '" ''But say won't fight" replied the other "Then you must apologize" " "Apologize! What does he mean by apologize?" "Why, take it all back, and say that you are sorry that you called him a liar; that is what it means" '1s that all2" replied the Persian. ''Of course I'll apologize; I'll say whatever he wishes me to say. I lied when l called him a liar. I am liar, the son of a liar, and the grandson of liars. What more does he want me to ?'--[ Lon don Fjparo.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
Blind at Night.

Mir. H. H. Frary, of Jonesville, Vt, thus relates his experience many years ago, while on whaling voyage in the ship Josephine, of Sag Harbor: ''We were out three years, from October, 1s46, to Sep tember, 1s49, and at the close of the second year of the voyage, while just making the land at the entrance of the port of Petropaulovski, Kamschatka, as night came on, found that although it was bright moonlight night, I could see nothing after twilight, and could see no better in room we'll lighted with lamps. We made port the next day, and after few days in port it passed of, but on several occasions, after being at sea for some time, the same difficulty re- turned, and on the way home, via China and the Cape of Good Hope, it came on about the time we rounded the cape and lasted me home, but passed off after about week on shore. My eyesight was perfect by day, and my eyes were always strong. with not symptom of weakness, and I had not slept in the moonlight, but could sec nothing in the brightest moonlis sht night or in we'll lighted room unless it was little sense of light sidewise; ot sign of light in front
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
VOL. XVI.
An Empty Nest. <1 x,. I ,lz 2.y.

An Empty Nest. A grave old man and maiden fair Walked together at early morn; The thrushes up in the clear cold air Sang to the farmer planting his corn. And, oh, how sweet was tho fresh-turned
 mouldl
 And, oh, how fair were the budding trees For daisy's silver and daffodirs gold Were full of the happy honey-bees, "Ah, lookl there's an empty nest" she said; "And I wonder where sing the last years
 birdsf f' Then the old man quickly raised his head, Though scarcely he noted her musing
 words; He tore the nest from the swaying tree, He flung to the winds it's moss and hay, And said "When an empty nest you see,
 Be sure that you throw it far away" '.But whys' she asked, with a sorrowing
 face ''Why may not the pretty home abide ?" Because" he answered, '"twill be place In which the worm and the slug will
 hide. Last car twas fair enough in its way It was full of love and merry with song; But days that are gone must rot spoil to-
 day,
 Nor dead joys do the living joys wrong" The maiden heard with a thoughtful face Her first false love had gone far away And she thought, is my heart become a
 place
 For anger and grief and hate to staya Down, heart, with thy sad, forsaken nest Fling far thy selfish and idle pain; The love that is ours is always the best; And she went with smile to her work
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
Growers of Silence"

When the hour of death is at hand the dying Parsee is carried down to the cellar, or the lowest room in the house. with what notion I failed to learn. Afterward the body is borne to a great burial tower, there to be exposed to the winds of heaven, the burning sun, the beating rain and all the host of foul carrion birds. Some rich families have a private tower of their own-a sort of family mausoleum. The public burial towers, of which there are five, stand on Malabar hill, in garden of flower ing shrubs overlooking the sea. Here, amid fragrant bowers of roses and jessa- mine, stand these towers of silence, as they are called-ghastly receptacles for the dead. They are about thirty feet high and sixty feet wide. On the top of each is an open grating on which the bodies are laid in three circles children in the centre, then the women and men on the outer edge. Innumera- ble birds of prey are forever lowering, with their sharp hungry cries, round these towers, or sitting perched on them, solemnly waiting for the grateful feast that is never long delayed-a feast which daily average three Parsees, be- sides women and children, for it is esti- mated that each day three of these pros porous, intelligent, well-to-do looking merchants find their last resting place in the voracious maws of these ravenous birds. And when the birds have done their part, and winds and sun and rain have all combined to whiten the skele- ton to thing like polished ivory, gradu- ally the bones separate and fall through the open grating into we'll below the tower, whence, it is said, they are taken by subterranean passage and cast into the sea, and so the space is left clear for the next comers.-[ [Macmillan's Maga- zine
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16

A bad boy came before judge in a Cleveland court recently, charged with assaulting his mother. He was an old offender, and in committing the lad the judge remarked: "The boy is snot re- sponslble for what he does. There is something wrong in his blood. He'll kill you some day-you or somebody else and then, when he's charged with mur- der, they'll introduce plea of insanity. It will be sustained, too. The boy ought to be locked up. He's been before thls court for almost every offence from sus- picion up and down. Costs and six months" Such case as this brings up interesting questions of how far crime is a disease.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
AntlUuity of Diamonds.

The diamond is mentioned very anciently in literature. Jupiter, accord ing to classical mythology, was anxious to make men forget the days he spent among them, and finding that one man Diamond of Crete-remembered him, turned him into stone; not very cred ible story of the origin of the gem, but men of science in the nineteenth century are not much nearer to knowing the truth on the subject. The Greeks call the stone adamas, the indomitable or unchangeable, and from this has come down our word ada1nantine and, and after the letters have undergone changes of a kind that are not rare in the growth of a language, our name of the stone itself. But, long before the Greeks had emerged from the darkness of the mythic age, the diamond was made, among the Hebrews, the peculiar jewel of the tribe of Zebulon; and Aaron's breastplate, when he was dressed in his priestly robes, was adorned in the second of the four rows of its setting with precious stones-with an emerald, sapphire and a diamond; and Jeremiah, when the Greeks were just beginning to be known, rebuking the misgoings of his people, said, "The sin of Judah is written with pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond"
 But, although the ancients considered the diamond indestructible, and were capable of trying the most daring exper- iments with it, no specimen that is known to have belonged to them has come down to us. Some persons sup pose that the Koh-i-nor is five thousand years old, as mans possession, but no one knows or can trace it's history back with certainty for more than few cen turies. - Popular Science Monthly.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
Carnegie and KruDD.

Andrew Carnegie and his partners pay out more money in wages every month than Krupp, the celebrated gunmaker of Essen, Germany, disburscs among his men. Krupp employs 10, 900 men and Carnegie's various Pittsburg mills are op- erated by 5000 men. Tho difference in the aggregate of salaries is the difference between American and European pay. The monthly payroll of the Pittsburg ironmaster is over half @ million dollars. The plant owned by the Carnegie's cover 900 acres of ground Upon this there are laid and main tained thirty-five miles of tracks, and the firm owns twenty two locomotives.-TPittsburo Commercial.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
New Mode of Identifying Prisoners.

The latest method for identifying prisoners which has been introduced in to France by M. Alphonse Bertillon, and which is now successfully practised, not only in the chief French prisons, but in Russia and Japan as we'll, is the exact measurement of the prisoner on his ar- rival at the jail. His waist, the length and width of the head, the left middle finger, the left foot, the outstretched arms, the three other fingers of the left hand, the left arm from the elbow to the wrist, and the length and width of the ear are measured, and the color of the eyes and any peculiarities are noted down. A photograph is also immediate ly taken, and by these means the many mistakes which have been made by trusting to photographer only, are avoid- ed. The fact that during the two years since this mode has been in operation 826 habitual criminals, who presented themselves under an assumed name, have been identified Tn France, shows that M. Bertillon's method is superior to any other. It is stated that habitual criminals, particularly English pick pockets, are so convinced of the infalh. bility of the method, that they will on no account submit to the measurement, and offer violent resistance whenever the attempt is made to measure them.
 nearly always sufficient to measure the inside of the hat and boots. -[ Amateur
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16
The Way of the SpeCulat0r.

They met in Exchange place year ago this month. One had just bought his wife pair of diamond earrings, and the other had been moving into an up town brown front. They met again on Sixth avenue yesterday, and the one in- quired:
 "Say, Green, recommend mo apawn shop. want to spout those diamonds. !"
 "Ah, has it come to that, old boyf Say, I can't do it. We've just moved into rooms over this hat store, and Pm not acquainted around here."- Wall Street News.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16

According to the New Orleans Times Democrat the money spent by Congress on the Mississippi river levees amounts to $1, 600, 112, and $4, 24O, 900 more is needed to complete the system, making a total of about s6, 900, 900. The Times Democratic says that even if all this money is granted it will be less than one- tenth of the sum already spent by the levee states, viz: Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. The alluvial land defended by these dikes includes some 23, 762, 900 acres, with a population of ], 925, 723 and an average annual agri- cultural production of SIS, 755, 900.
Connecticut western news., 1887-02-16

The St. Louis Globe Democrat has se- cured the expert testimony of a peanut vendor concerning the wares he deals in and their proper use, The vendor tells the public that peanut roasting is gift of nature, not an acquired art. "A good roaster, like good cook, he says, '.must be born with certain qualifications that cannot be reached by trying to educate him to it. Some dealers roast the nut too little and others too much. Roast them too much and the oil is taken from them, and If the oil is not properly brought out the nut has a dlsagreeable taste. Some people like peanuts hot, but then they are very bad for the teeth. Dyspeptics should eat very few. l find from my own experience that it would be better if they did not eat any. The average peanut eater eats one every minute, which is ntirely too fast" We wish to add on our responsibility that one should never eat peanuts in parlor without consent of the hostess, and that when one is eating them in a box at the opera it is not now considered good form to shy the shells at bald-headed gentle. men in the parouette.